Provoking Thought. Providing Thoughtfulness.

4 key election questions

By George Journal poses “the 4 key election questions” left in the weeks remaining before the October vote. How Canadians’ thinking evolves (and how the Parties’ respective political backrooms maneuver) in response to these questions will have a direct impact on the election results.

By George’s 4 Key Election Questions

#1. Can Stephen Harper successfully frame the ballot box question to relate to the health of the Canadian economy?

There are many distractions that have fed headline news through the election campaign – Duffy, social media embarrassments, refugees, etc. Should the PM get his wish and turn the attention of voters in the voting booth to Canadians’ challenges with the global economic turmoil, he could still have a chance to gain the benefit of the doubt from undecided voters. Media and pundits have begun to pick apart the costings of the respective NDP and Liberal platforms. It is increasingly unclear whether we can trust the math of the NDP and Liberals. Weigh that fact against the 2 billion dollar surplus Stephen Harper just delivered and you have people thinking about their own financial prospects in an uncertain world and re-considering the devil they know.

#2. Can Thomas Mulcair and the NDP gain some traction in the GTA – and elsewhere in TROC?

Although national polls show the NDP deadlocked with the Conservatives and Liberals, the NDP numbers are skewed with their overwhelming support in the Province of Quebec. The reality is that Mulcair has made little headway in Toronto and southern Ontario – or anywhere else outside la belle Province. To win, he must gain traction in English Canada – most importantly in Toronto, “the most important City in Canada” as Mulcair has tagged it. (Perhaps this is why Mulcair does not wish to talk about Quebec politics and his Quebec-dominated caucus views on separation?) If Mulcair fails to move the numbers in TROC, this Quebec-career-politician will likely find the NDP will be on the short end of many close three-way races, losing many to his Outremont nemesis, Mr. Trudeau.

#3. Will Canadians actually vote for Justin “nice hair” Trudeau when he seems to be proving his critics correct?

The Great Liberal Savior, the son-of-the-Legend-himself, has been disappointing on the campaign trail and an outright disaster for some Grit backroom warhorses like Warren Kinsella. Though he may fully grasp the issues and ideas surrounding the most pressing concerns of Canadians, Justin Trudeau has shown no ability to articulately answer the most-common of questions on the economy, “the middle class struggle” or even Liberal campaign promises. The most recent case was his flubbing his way through that Atlantic CTV interview – a video now being widely distributed by NDP and Conservative politicos. So, the real question about Justin remains whether Canadians will vote for his pedigree in spite of what they see and hear from the man?

#4. Will election bravado that the NDP and Liberals are sure to deny a minority Conservative result the chance to govern impact the final vote?

The Conservatives need a majority vote or they will be kicked from office by a coalition of NDP and Liberals. Recall, this is the exact scenario that delivered Stephen Harper “a strong, stable, national majority Conservative government” in 2011. Both Thomas Mulcair and Justin Trudeau have made crystal clear statements recently that they would “under no circumstances” support a Conservative minority government. This possibility that it is either a right-wing/Conservative government or a left-wing coalition motivates those right-of-centre Canadian voters to get out and vote. So, can Stephen Harper use Mulcair’s and Trudeau’s pronouncements this time around to move his numbers, galvanize Conservative vote and corral enough support from uncertain Canadians who would rather have a stable government than political drama in Ottawa? Is this a 2011 rerun or will be there a new twist to be made to the old arguments?

By George Journal is interested in receiving your views on these questions as well as trending concerns on the campaign trail. Connect with us!